Ancient Fire is the name of my brand of homemade wines, meads, ciders & beers. Under that name I also write articles on my projects, wines from around the world, food & pairing, the wine business, wineries, travel and all things I enjoy in this life. -- Jason

Friday, December 2, 2011

Ten Imbibing Ideas for the Holiday Season

Looking for some inspiration for your holiday imbibing?
Whoops, how did you end up here? I kid.

This is the season when nostalgia grabs everyone and the occasions
to get together with family and friends fill the calendar. Entertaining family
and friends can be a challenge any time of year, but with the expectations
heaped on gatherings during the holidays it’s no wonder there are so many search
hits for “holiday horror stories”! We all have them.

A few years ago Margot and I vacationed to Orlando with
friends early in the month of November. The Disney Parks were already decorated
for Christmas and after a bit of exposure to the music and decorations our conversations
inevitably turned to the upcoming holidays and stories of celebrations past. Many
laughs ensued! On one of the car rides to Universal Studios, also decked out
for Christmas, we spotted a sign hanging above the door of a liquor store that
read “Family gatherings go quicker with liquor!” The wisdom of the person who
posted those words can’t be understated. Don’t believe me? Another example
comes late in the move National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Clark’s father
tells him that he got through the holidays with a lot of help from his friend
Jack Daniels. Raise your hand if you can relate.

So get your family & friends together and drink up!

You are going to do it anyway and bringing fresh imbibing
ideas to this year’s gatherings is a sure way to guarantee at least some of the
conversation won’t be about whose back hurts worse or who gets the best parking
spot in front of the house.

Ten Ideas for Holiday Imbibing

Serve punch. And I mean a classic punch from the era that birthed
it. Recipes in David Wondrich’s book Punch and in his column at Esquire
Magazine are the place to go. This cognac-based holiday punch recipe, The Fatal Bowl, from 2007 is a great example of what I mean. Classic punch is not a
contemporary cocktail in a bowl, something many of us know all too well…

Make simple syrup for simplified cocktail construction. Straight
up simple syrup is used in lots of drinks and flavored or spiced versions can
help take your mixology in many exciting directions. Check out this NY Times article for cocktail ideas and a recipe for simple syrup.

Use sugar and spices to create fun flavors to rim glasses
with. Crush up candy canes to rim hot chocolate and spiked coffee mugs. A brown
sugar and spiced rim on a Sazerac or a Manhattan takes those drinks for a
holiday spin.

For cocktail occasions use drink recipes that can be made
ahead of time and served out of a pitcher. As the host you can end up spending
so much time serving guests that you don’t have fun. Easy drinks mean more
conversation! Food & Wine magazine has a slideshow and recipes for several
different pitcher drinks, including several with holiday flavors.

Take a trip around the world. Assemble a collection of wines
and beers from different places around the world. Curiosity about new products
and where they come from always creates interesting conversation.

Make everything sparkle. Host a sparkling only party. Serve
Champagne, sparkling wine, hard cider and beers known for considerable
carbonation for an all sparkling affair. Some examples of the beers that would work
in this way include Saisons, Sam Adams Infinium or the Weiss beers from Weihenstephaner.

Host a blind tasting. Entertainment experts often recommend having
an activity at parties to help provide a little bit of structure. Hosting a
blind tasting of wines can get everyone talking about what they are smelling
and tasting, and the type and origin of the drinks. Wines, beers, meads and
ciders can all be tasted blind to add even more fun

Drink local. The local small batch production of wines, beers,
ciders, meads and spirits is increasing within communities in every region.
Stock your holiday bar with products made nearby to celebrate the season.
Better yet, make some of your own to share!

Give a toast. Pick a drink that you are particularly excited
about this season and put a short pour into all the willing glasses. Assemble
your guests and thank them for joining you to celebrate the shared traditions
for yet another year. This is a moment everyone will remember after the rest of
the holiday crush fades.

Play a holiday drinking game. This idea is for those less
formal parties. Many holiday movies, especially the cartoons, are parables of
good and evil. Split the assembled group up into two teams and the each team
drinks when their side is mentioned by the narrator of the holiday classic you
select. How the Grinch Stole Christmas is an excellent example. Are you rooting
for the Whos or the Grinch?

( The holiday beer lineup from 2010. )

A few other thoughts must be stated as a public service. Don’t
say I never gave you anything!

These tips will enhance everyone’s holiday
imbibing.

Drink more water. Citrus infused waters taste good and
hydrate well.

Don’t drink and drive. It’s bad for you, bad for me and it
sticks with you. Don’t do it.

Drink freely, and for whatever reason, but watch the words
that come out of your mouth. That’s where the real trouble is.

Store leftover wine in rinsed out beer bottles with reusable
stoppers. Keeping the air out will ensure you can serve the leftovers within a
couple of days without a loss of drinkability.

Give wine & beer as gifts. Nothing says “I completely
understand” better to a host than something to drink when you’ve annoyed the
shit out of them!

With the season in full gear I hope I’ve helped stir some
creativity for your holiday imbibing, hosting or whatever it is you plan to do
to celebrate for another year. Try something new this year and watch how it
makes your holiday gatherings much more than the usual.